Hundar could feel his heart rate increase.
‘Show me,’ he said, simply.
Abbas handed him a piece of paper with the rewritten poem.
From the towers of Topkapi
His glory will shine eternal, unto the end of life
From this world to the new
Led by wings of angels
and master of beasts in guises unknown
Turn away from his humble gaze
To paths not met nor trodden by man
To drink from the devil’s cup
His is the way of the almighty for only his words show the true way
Lower your gaze, for such is his word
and seek his tribute on the infidel day of rest
‘It’s much shorter,’ said Hundar.
‘But relevant,’ said India.
‘You have deciphered the clues?’
‘Most of them,’ said India. ‘Let me show you.’ They both pored over the map as India explained the clues line by line.
‘Line one is straightforward,’ she said, ‘and gives us our starting point, Topkapi Palace.’
‘Line two, “shine eternal unto the end of life”, gave us more problems until we realised it was a reference to the sun. In essence, the sun dies every night to be reborn each morning. “The end of life” means the west. Therefore the destination lies west of Istanbul, or Constantinople, as it was.’
‘I’m with you so far,’ said Hundar.
India glanced at Brandon before continuing.
‘Well, the next part gets interesting, and at first, we refused to believe it.’
‘Why?’
‘Because I think it is a reference to America.’
‘Hang on, that’s impossible,’ said Hundar. ‘No Ottoman that I know of ever crossed the Atlantic.’
‘No, but Christopher Columbus did. Don’t forget, they lived at the same time, and while Columbus was discovering the new world, Kemal Reis was wreaking havoc across all the Mediterranean and even some way into the Atlantic.’
‘Really?’
‘Yes, Kemal Reis sailed as far as the Canary Isles and even captured seven Spanish ships, one of which contained artefacts from the Americas.’
‘I never knew that,’ said Hundar. ‘But it still doesn’t mean he ever crossed the Atlantic.’
‘I know, but just because there isn’t any record, it doesn’t mean he never did, or that someone didn’t go on his behalf. Don’t forget, he had the sea in his blood and must have been fascinated by the stories coming from the explorers of the new world. He must have been green with envy.’
‘Explain.’
‘We have been chewing over this for the last few hours,’ said India, ‘and we think that it is possible that Kemal Reis sent at least one ship across to the new world. Not only that, but whoever it was he sent actually returned and lived long enough to pass the information back to Kemal Reis.’
‘Why do you think that?’
‘It stands to reason. How else would he have known the location of his own treasure? Either that or he went himself.’
‘But how would they know the way? They had no maps.’
‘That’s not actually true,’ said India. ‘Kemal Reis captured those seven Spanish galleons in 1501. One of these had a chart drawn by Columbus himself and it eventually became one of the source maps used by Piri Reis.’
‘It’s still a stretch of the imagination,’ said Hundar, ‘especially as there is no record of any Ottoman crossing the Atlantic at that time.’
‘And why would there be?’ asked India. ‘If, as we think, he used the voyage to hide his accumulated wealth, then he wouldn’t go around boasting of it, would he? Anyway, the next five lines seem to confirm our suspicions.’ She read them out.
From this world to the new
Led by wings of angels
and master of beasts in guises unknown
Turn away from his humble gaze
To paths not met nor trodden by man
‘The reference to the new world is obvious,’ she continued, ‘and we thought the wings of angels and master of beasts in guises unknown were directions using references on the map. Once we knew where to look, it wasn’t too hard to find them. As you can see, there are many ships depicted on the map, but only one with their sails furled, giving the typical impression of angel’s wings.’ She pointed to a ship in the bottom left of the map, directly to the east of a small compass rose.
‘And the reference to beasts?’ asked Hundar.
‘That was easy,’ said India. ‘There is only one beast depicted on the eastern half of the map and that is here.’ She pointed at a whale on the top half of the map, seemingly ridden by three western men. ‘Both pictures are dissected by several rhumb lines,’ she continued, ‘but if you look carefully, you can see that there is one from each that actually meet each other over land.’
Hundar followed the lines traced by India’s pointing finger and saw them dissect over a small island off the coast of America.
‘Coincidence?’ he asked.
‘Possibly, except for two last things: on the whole of the map there is only one representation of Selim himself, and even then he is not where you would expect him to be.’ She pointed at the western coast of Africa, where a picture of a sitting man wearing a turban looked eastward. ‘If you look carefully, you will see his eyes are looking down. A humble gaze. By turning away from his humble gaze, again we are pointed westward along a third rhumb line and this one dissects the first two at more or less the same point, resulting in a tiny triangle over the island. “Paths not met nor trodden by man.”’
‘Simple triangulation,’ said Brandon.
‘And where is this island?’ asked Hundar.
‘Hispaniola,’ said India, ‘an island Columbus visited on all four of his transatlantic expeditions.’
Hundar inhaled deeply.
‘I have to admit, it is very compelling,’ he said.
‘And correct,’ said Brandon. ‘There are far too many coincidences to be otherwise. We think, believe it or not, that around the time of Columbus, Kemal Reis or ships belonging to him crossed the Atlantic to hide his legacy. They then returned with the detail of where it was hidden and passed on the information which was eventually used to produce this map.’
‘What about the rest of the poem? What does that show?’ asked Hundar.
‘That’s as far as we have got,’ said India. ‘We think the “devil’s cup” is the actual destination, but I have no idea what it means, nor the last four lines. To be honest, I am very tired.’
‘I understand,’ said Hundar, ‘and appreciate what you have already done. It has been a long day, so please feel free to retire to your staterooms. Breakfast will be served from eight tomorrow. Perhaps after a good night’s sleep, the remainder will make sense.’
‘So, now you know where the treasure is, will you let us go?’ asked Brandon.
‘Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, Mr Walker,’ said Hundar. ‘We’ll get some rest and discuss it tomorrow. Now, if you’ll excuse me, it is time to turn in.’ He turned to India. ‘Miss Summers, thank you for your help, and I bid you good night.’
Everyone dispersed to their rooms and Brandon was surprised at how tired he actually felt. As he drifted off, he heard the sound of an approaching boat, but despite the urge to peer out of the window, found himself slipping into a deep sleep.
* * *
The following morning, Brandon stood out on the deck, drinking a cup of tea when Basil approached.
‘Sir, breakfast is served.’
‘Thank you, Basil,’ said Brandon, and followed him to the dining room. Once again the same five people were present, but before Brandon could help himself to the scrambled eggs, a door opened and an imposing man entered, dressed in a black thawb. Everyone turned to stare but before Hundar could introduce him, Abbas spoke up in surprise.
‘Father!’ he said.
The man acknowledged his son with a silent nod before turning to Hundar.
>
‘Kosta,’ said Hundar. ‘Did you sleep well?’
‘I am rested adequately,’ said Kosta.
‘Let me introduce you,’ said Hundar. ‘This is India Summers and her friend Brandon Walker, our special guests.’
He turned to the two friends.
‘This is Kosta Bin Syndic,’ continued Hundar, ‘chieftain of the Saljik and, as you may have already guessed, Abbas’ father.’
‘Hello,’ said Brandon, extending his hand. ‘I take it you arrived on the boat late last night.’
‘I did,’ said Kosta.
‘Kosta has issues with flying,’ said Hundar, ‘so we had to wait for him to catch us up.’
Kosta greeted the rest sombrely before helping himself to fruit and bottled water. Abbas joined him near the window.
‘So,’ he said, biting down on his own apple, ‘for one who scorns the excess of the west, here you are on one of the most luxurious yachts in the world. Why are you here?’
‘I take no pleasure in this extravagance, Abbas,’ said Kosta, ‘but there is too much at risk. His Excellency Mehmed Hundar is close to securing a future for our people and I have been engaged to ensure his safety on this quest.’
‘A bodyguard?’
‘Yes.’
‘So once more you pursue the ways of the past.’
‘Our people have always protected the sultans, it is in our blood.’
Abbas shook his head, sadly.
‘Father, it is one thing to support the man in his search with a view to obtaining lands, but when will you accept that he is just another man, trying to further his own career?’
‘I care not for his own ambition,’ answered Kosta, ‘just the land he promises our people. Money has a way of attracting enemies, so it is in our interests to ensure he is protected.’
‘So be it,’ Abbas sighed, and left the room to join the others, who had assembled at the handrail to look over the sea. A mile or so away, a large rocky landmass loomed through the morning mist as they passed.
‘Where’s that?’ asked Abbas.
‘Gibraltar,’ said Helga.
Brandon turned to stare at her.
‘Gibraltar? That means we are headed out into the Atlantic, why didn’t anyone tell us?’
‘It must have slipped Mr Hundar’s mind,’ she said. ‘I’m sure he would have mentioned it.’
‘Where are we going?’ asked India.
‘Oh, come on, Miss Sumemrs, surely you already know that?’
‘Hispaniola?’
‘Correct. We will be cruising at top speed so the crossing may get a bit uncomfortable depending on the weather, but we should be off the coast of Hispaniola in approximately four days.’
‘And what then?’ asked Brandon. ‘Hispaniola is a huge island, where would you begin to look?’
‘That is down to you,’ said Hundar’s voice from behind him.
Brandon turned to glare at him.
‘You promised to release us,’ he said. ‘We have done what you asked, now why don’t you just let us go?’
‘On the contrary, Mr Walker,’ said Hundar, ‘I promised no such thing. That was an assumption on your part. You, or should I say India, has done an excellent job so far but the task is only half done. The exact location of the treasure lies in the lines which are yet undeciphered. We will be at sea for the best part of four days, so I suggest you take the time to apply your joint efforts in understanding the last verse.’
‘Or what?’ asked Brandon, with an edge to his voice.
‘Let’s not go there,’ said Hundar.
Brandon grabbed Hundar’s arm.
‘Or what, Hundar,’ he snarled. ‘Spit it out.’
Before he could draw another breath, Brandon found himself smashed across the side of the head and fell against the wall of the nearby cabin before sprawling on the deck. Kosta was stood over him, his hand resting on the lethal curved kama that hung from his belt.
‘Brandon,’ shouted India, and ran across to kneel besides him.
‘What did you do that for?’ she shouted at Kosta.
Hundar walked forward to stand alongside Kosta and looked down at them both.
‘Mr Walker,’ he said, ‘we are not playing games here, there is too much at stake. The future of a once proud nation lies in our hands, and I will not let anything stop us achieving that future. Men have died for lesser causes than this and if some should fall by the wayside on this quest, then so be it. But enough of veiled threats and assumed promises, let me make myself clear. You are both here because you have something to offer. Take that potential away and your presence will be no longer required. One word from me and Kosta will open your throats without hesitation. Now, I don’t want to do that, but will give the order if necessary. Make no mistake, this venture will end in the next few days, one way or the other. Help us and there is a possibility you will both live. Create problems and you will be fed to the fish in tiny pieces. Do I make myself clear?’
‘You wouldn’t dare,’ said Brandon, wiping the blood from his mouth.
‘And why is that?’ asked Hundar.
‘There are too many witnesses,’ said Brandon, ‘too many people know we are here, and people talk.’
‘Like who?’ asked Hundar.
‘The crew, for a start,’ said Brandon.
‘They are all hand-picked for their loyalty,’ said Hundar, ‘and will all swear you never came on board.’
‘Helga, then,’ said Brandon, looking over at the woman for support.
Helga didn’t answer but walked up to join Hundar before kissing him gently on the cheek and threading her arm through his.
‘Sorry,’ she mouthed silently toward Brandon.
India turned to the butler.
‘Basil, you are a gentleman, surely you can see this madness for what it is?’
‘Sorry, miss,’ he answered. ‘Fifteen years in Pentonville taught me to keep my mouth shut.’
‘So you see,’ said Hundar, ‘I have all the cards but one, the location of the treasure itself. Tell me that and I give you my word that I will not kill you. Fail in this task and I will not be responsible for your safety. Now, get yourself cleaned up and I suggest you make a start on that verse. You have four days.’
The deck cleared and India helped Brandon back to his room to bathe his cut lip.
‘What do you reckon?’ she asked. ‘Is he bluffing?’
‘No, I don’t think so,’ said Brandon. ‘I think he is deadly serious.’
‘So what do we do?’
‘We do as he says,’ said Brandon, ‘but keep any findings to ourselves for as long as possible.’
‘Can we call anyone?’
‘No, he has my phone.’ He picked up the handset next to the bed and held it to his ear. ‘Dead,’ he said before replacing it.
‘This is awful,’ said India. ‘Our lives are in my hands. What if I can’t decipher the verse?’
‘India,’ said Brandon, ‘that is not an option.’
* * *
For the next few days, India and Brandon spent most of their time in the dining room going over the maps and researching the history of Hispaniola, looking for any clue that might lead them to the location of Kemal Reis’ treasure. Each day they were visited by Hundar, who asked them for updates.
‘Well?’ he asked on the evening of the third day. ‘We will be off the coast of Hispaniola tomorrow, I hope you have some good news for me.’
‘Not yet,’ India sighed. ‘The more we work, the more convinced I am that Hispaniola is the correct place, but the actual location evades me. It seems to revolve around the phrase “seek his tribute on the infidel day of rest”, but I have no idea why.’
‘Well, you have less than twenty-four hours to find out,’ said Hundar, and left the room.
India sighed and sat back in her chair.
‘It’s no good,’ she said. ‘I give up. There is nothing more I can do.’
‘Don’t worry,’ said Brandon, taking her hand. ‘Somethin
g will come up, I’m sure of it.’
‘I hope so, Brandon,’ said India, ‘or that’s it. It’s all over.’
‘It won’t come to that,’ said Brandon. ‘I’ll think of something.’ But deep down inside, he knew that if they didn’t come up with the location soon, then Hundar would have no reason to keep them alive.
Chapter 18
Brandon woke slowly, aware that something was wrong but not sure what. He lay for a few seconds more, halfway between sleep and consciousness, before the noise came again. Tap, tap.
Suddenly he realised someone was at his door. He glanced at his watch. Four o’clock in the morning. He wondered who on earth it could be at that time, before swinging his legs out of bed and walking to the door.
‘Hello?’ he said as the door tapped again.
‘Brandon, it’s me,’ said India’s voice, ‘let me in.’
Brandon unlocked the door and India came rushing in past him.
‘India,’ he said. ‘Good morning, nice to see you so early.’
‘Ah, good morning,’ she said. ‘Sorry about the time, but this is important.’
‘What is?’
‘I’ve worked it out, Brandon. I know where the treasure is, and it’s not on Hispaniola.’
‘It’s not? Then where is it? I hope we haven’t come across the Atlantic for nothing, as that will make him really pissed.’
‘No, it’s in the Caribbean, just not on Hispaniola.’
‘Come on,’ said Brandon, ‘we’ll go to the dining room, you can show me on the map.’
India didn’t move.
‘What’s the matter?’ asked Brandon. ‘Are you coming with me or not?’
‘Um, don’t you think you should be putting some clothes on?’ asked India. ‘You wouldn’t want to be giving Helga any hot flushes now, would you?’
Brandon glanced down. He was still in his boxer shorts.
‘Oh, yes,’ he said. ‘I suppose that would be a good idea. Just a second and I’ll get sorted.’
‘Don’t rush on my account,’ laughed India. ‘I’m quite enjoying the view.’
Brandon smiled and took some clothes into the bathroom to get dressed.
India watched him as he walked across the cabin. He was a handsome man and though a few years older than her, his body was still firm and well-shaped. Faint white marks were evidence of healed scars from adventures yet unknown to her.
The Treasures of Suleiman Page 20
